Indonesia church attacks-At least 9 killed in 3 church explosions

Suspected suicide bombers struck three different churches in Indonesia on Sunday morning, killing at least nine people and injuring scores more, police say.

The state of the church shortly after the bomb exploded

Forty people — including two police officers — were taken to hospital with injuries following the attacks in Surabaya, a port city on the east coast of Java Island, East Java Police spokesman Frans Barung Mangera said.

Police officers near the scene of hte blast at Santa Maria church in Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia.
The explosions targeted the Santa Maria Catholic Church, the Indonesian Christian Church and the Pentecost Central Church. The St. Maria explosion killed four people and two people were killed at each of the other two churches, the spokesman said. Another person later died at a hospital.

The state of the church shortly after the bomb exploded

St. Maria was the site of the first blast, which occurred at 7.30 a.m. local time Sunday (8.30 p.m. Saturday ET), before blasts at 7.35 a.m. and 8 a.m., state-run news agency Antara quoted him as saying.
“Right now there are only three locations. Do not believe in misleading information that (the bomb) exploded in five locations or any others,” the police spokesman added.
“We suspect it is a suicide bomb attempt. We have identified one victim,” he said.

The state of the church shortly after the bomb exploded

The police spokesman declined to give more details on the victims.
Police have closed off all three locations as they work to identify the victims.
Indonesia’s Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi tweeted her condolences to the bombing victims with the hashtags #UnitedAgainstTerrorism and #WeAreNotAfraid.

Updated 0450 GMT (1250 HKT) May 13, 2018
Indonesian bomb squade examine the site following a suicide bomb outside a church in Surabaya early Sunday.
Indonesian bomb squade examine the site following a suicide bomb outside a church in Surabaya early Sunday.

Suspected suicide bombers struck three different churches in Indonesia on Sunday morning, killing at least nine people and injuring scores more, police say.

Forty people — including two police officers — were taken to hospital with injuries following the attacks in Surabaya, a port city on the east coast of Java Island, East Java Police spokesman Frans Barung Mangera said.

Police officers near the scene of hte blast at Santa Maria church in Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia.
Police officers near the scene of hte blast at Santa Maria church in Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia.

The state of the church shortly after the bomb exploded

The explosions targeted the Santa Maria Catholic Church, the Indonesian Christian Church and the Pentecost Central Church. The St. Maria explosion killed four people and two people were killed at each of the other two churches, the spokesman said. Another person later died at a hospital.

St. Maria was the site of the first blast, which occurred at 7.30 a.m. local time Sunday (8.30 p.m. Saturday ET), before blasts at 7.35 a.m. and 8 a.m., state-run news agency Antara quoted him as saying.

“Right now there are only three locations. Do not believe in misleading information that (the bomb) exploded in five locations or any others,” the police spokesman added.
“We suspect it is a suicide bomb attempt. We have identified one victim,” he said.

Police have not identified the attackers.
Indonesia is the world’s most populous Muslim country. In recent years it has been fighting against radical extremism as ISIS attempts to recruit members within the country.

At least two people have been killed and 13 others injured in bomb attacks, including a suicide blast, targeting churches in Indonesia’s second biggest city, Surabaya.

The attacks in the predominantly Muslim country came days after police ended a riot and hostage-taking at a detention center near Jakarta that left five dead and five injured. The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility.

“There have been three attacks at three churches,” Frans Barung Mangera, a spokesman for East Java police said.

Breaking: Video showing one of the Surabaya attackers riding a motorcycle into the grounds of a church and detonating a bomb. pic.twitter.com/X0DBrHB4p9

The blasts all occurred within 10 minutes of each other, police said, with the first explosion at 7.30am (0030 GMT).

Police only gave details of the attack on Santa Maria catholic church. There have been no claims of responsibility.

“We have confirmed one died at the scene, one died at the hospital, two police officers were injured and there are some civilians injured,” Mangera said.

The state of the church shortly after the bomb exploded

“In total 13 people are being treated at the hospital.”

Indonesia is home to significant numbers of Christians, Hindus and Buddhists but there are concerns over rising intolerance.

Extremists have mounted a series of attacks against Christians and other minorities in recent years.

Indonesian police shot and wounded a man who attacked a church congregation in Sleman town with a sword during Sunday Mass in February. The radical Islamist, who had wanted to fight with the Islamic State group in Syria, injured four people.